OFNL is one of the UK’s independent full fibre network builders — sometimes called an “altnet” (alternative network) — laying fibre optic infrastructure directly to homes and businesses, separate from the traditional Openreach network.

Why it matters to you: Merula Broadband delivers its packages over the OFNL network, meaning the actual physical fibre installed at your property is built and maintained by OFNL, while Merula handles your service, billing, and support.

Is that a downgrade? Not at all — altnets like OFNL are purpose-built for full fibre from day one, rather than being retrofitted onto old copper infrastructure. In many areas, this means faster rollout and modern, dedicated fibre lines.

What you get on the OFNL network via Merula:

• 100% full fibre infrastructure
• No shared copper bottlenecks
• Competitive speeds from 40 Mbps to 900+ Mbps

If you’re checking coverage and see “OFNL” mentioned, it simply refers to the physical network your fibre connection runs on — the service, pricing, and support all come from Merula directly.